Thursday 20 April 2023 2023
On a small 100 kilometers from the border with Mexico lies the city of Tuscan in the desert of Arizona; home to both the band XIXA and GIANT SAND. On April 20, 2023, this edition of Double Bill will bring a whirlwind of sound to our city beyond the dunes.
Giant Sandworms is a reference to the creatures in Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune‘ series of novels. The band cut this short and came up with GIANT SAND. Frontman Howe Gelb and his band have been sharing the stage since 1985 and can be regarded as the founders of ‘alternative country’. Giant Sand makes dreamy country in which sharp guitars and warm piano sounds dance around Gelb’s characteristic voice.
This six-piece band XIXA mixes psychedelic rock, cumbia, cowboy folk and blues into a warm sound in which guitars play the leading role. In addition, the gentlemen get a lot of inspiration from the Peruvian chicha genre. Founders Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan share a long history on stage together. For example, the men previously played together with Calexico and Giant Sand.